Car door



Jan. 13, v1925.

J. MAPEs CR DOOR Filed 0011.4, 1924 @75017272 Mapas',

lllllllllrll llll.| J l l l l I I ll Patented dan. 13, '1925.

unirse stares JOHN IVIAPES, OF FORT MADISON, IOWA.

CAR DOOR.

Application filed October 4, 1924.

To all 107mm t may concern Be it known that l, JOHN Marlis, a citin zen of the United States, residing at Fort Madison. in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful I1n} io've1nents in Car Doors. of which the following is a specification.

rl`he object of this invention is to provide means whereby a freight car door may be easily moved from closed to open position or from open to closed position and securely held in the closed position to prevent unauthorized access to the interior of the car. The invention consists in certain novel features which will be hereinafter first fully described and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying` drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a freight car having my improved door itted thereto;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; 4 Y

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; n

Fig. i is a detail perspective view of one of the upper slidable bearings, and

Fig. 5 is a similar view of one of the lower bearings.

The car, indicated at 1, may be of any preferred construction and dimensions and is provided with a door opening 2 in its side. The `door 3 is rabbeted or countersunk, as indicated at t, and of proper dimensions to .tit closely vitliin the door opening and is mounted for travel upon an upper track 5 which is secured on the outer side of the car horizontally of the same and extends over the door opening, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Adjacent the side edges of the door at the upper and lower ends thereof, I secure upon the outer side thereof bearing brackets in which are journaled vertically disposed rock shafts 7 which are provided intermediate their ends with cranks 8 connected by a link 9 so that simultaneous movement of the rock shafts will be effected. The ends of the rock shafts are offset or formed int-o cranks, as shown at 10, and the terminals of the shafts are rotatably fitted in shoes 11 and 12, respectively.

As shown clearly in Fig. 1, the upper track rail 5 is substantially T-shape in cross section, being formed with vertical flanges 13 and 14; on its upper and lower sides, and

Serial No. 741,631.

the shoes 11 are provided with lips 15 and 16 which are adapted to engage behind the respective flanges with the body of the respective shoe bearing against the front or outer side of the rail, so that the shoes will provide firm bearings for the upper termi nals of the rock shafts but may slide easily upon the rail as the door is opened or closed. The lower shoes, 12, are forked, as at 17, in their under sides to span a bar 18 which connects the lower ends of posts 19 and is secured thereto in any convenient manner. rlhe posts 19 and bar 18 thus form in effect a frame which surrounds the sides and bot-- tom of the door, as shown. The shoes 12 are iXed upon the bar 18. A track rail 20 is secured to the side of the car below the door opening, and rollers 21 are carried by the posts 19 or the bar 18 to run upon said track, the lower ends of the posts being offset, as at 22, 23, to clear the side of the car.

The posts 19 extend upwardly beside the edges of the door to the full height of the door, and are provided, adjacent their upper extremities, with bearing openings, 211, receiving pintle pins 25 which are secured upon the outer side of the door at the upper end thereof, the weight of the door being thus transferred to and carried by the posts. One of the rock shafts 7 is provided near its lower end with a crank or lever handle member 26 which may be readily grasped from the ground and to the free end of this member is pivoted a latch 27 adapted to engage over an eye or loop 32 on the car door which loop or eye is adapted to receive a lock or seal at the outside of the handle whereby unauthorized opening of the door will be prevented. When the latch 27 is thus secured, as shown in Fig. 1, the rock shafts 7 can not be turned and the door will be secured in the closed position.

A weather strip 33 is secured on the car above the door opening to shed rain and like elements so that moisture may not leak into a loaded car through the door iopening.

It is thought the operation will be readily understood. Vhen the door is closed, it tits closely within the door opening, as shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and and the handle member is engaged over the loop or eye and sealed or locked thereto. In this position, the cranks 10 of the rock shafts 7 will extend inwardly from the teri Ininals of the rock shafts so that the door by causing the rock shafts to rotate abouttheir terminals and cause the cranks l() to pro]ect outwardly. Inasmuch as the shafts 7 above and below the respective cranks extend through bearings 6 upon the car door,

the door will be. caused to swing outwardly to clear the door opening and assume a position outwardly beyoml the car body after which the door may be moved readily along the tracks and 20 beyond the door opening` to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. l. Vhen the door moves outwardly, the posts 19 and the bar 18 rock on the lower track so that their upper ends swing outwardly but the. door moves pivotally at the pintles so that it remains perpendicular. Of course, a reverse operation of the parts `will bring the door again into the door opening to close the car.

Myl device is exceedingly simple in the construction and arrangement. of its parts and may be easily operated. The door will 1 move easily and quickly from one position to another and the constructiony is such that an accumulation of snow or ice is not apt to occur.

Having thus described the invention. I claim: A

l. 4The combination of a car having' a door oliiening7 of tracks securedy upon the car above and below said door opening7 the upper track being T-shaped in cross section whereby to provide upper 'and lower vertical -langes, a door, shoes at the top of the door constructed to slidably` A engage the flanges of? the track, shoes atthe bottom of thedoor, rock shafts having their terminals journaled in said shoes and beingbent to form cranks adjacent said terminals, the intermediate portions of the rock shafts being` journaled upon the outer side of the door, said'rock shafts having arms and aI rod .connecting said arms and being journaledv thereon whereby simultaneous turning of'sa.icl,sliafts is effected and which turning will swing the door in horizontal plane into and out ofy said ydoor opening, posts at the sides of the door, a bar connecting the lower ends of the posts, the lower shoes being secured vto said barirollers at lower ends of the-posts mounted to travel on the lower track, and pintlesV secured to the outer side of the door at the top of the same and pivotally engaged in the posts.

2. The combination with a calf having a door opening, of tracks secured tothe car above and below said door opening, a door` a `frame surrounding the sides and bottom of the door and resting on the lowertra'ck, shoes at the top of the door slidably engaging the upper: track, shoes secured to the bottom of the frame, rockshafts 4journaled on the outer side 'of the door and having their. ends provided Vwith cranks and their terminal portions journaled in said shoes, a connection between the yrock shafts whereby simultaneous turning ofsaid shafts is effected and which turningfwill swing the door in a horizont-alplane into `and out of said. opening.4 and a pivotal connection between the upper portionof the door and the upper portion of saidY frame.

S. Thecombination with a car having a doorV opening. of tracks secured upon the car above and below said door opening, a door, shoes "at the top of the door slidably engaging the track, shoes at the bottom of the door, rockshafts having their terminals journaled in said shoes and being'bent to form cranks adjacentsaid terminals, the intermediate vportions ofi the rook shafts being journaled upon the outer face ofi the door, said rock shafts having armswand af rod pivotally Yconnecting said' arms whereby simultaneous lturningV of said shafts is effected Yand which turning will swingV the door in a. horizontal plane into and out of said door opening, posts at the sides of the door, a bar connecting the lower ends of the post, the Vlower shoes being'secured to said bar, rollers at the lower ends of the posts mounted to'travel on the lower track.y and pintles secured to the door at the top of the same and pivotally engaged in the posts.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

l JOHN MAPES. [L sj] Uli 

